In Perspective
by New Decade
Summary: The tables have turned, he is now the one who refuses to let her in. Set in season 10, contains RUMORED spoilers.
1. Chapter 1

Finals are over *does happy dance*. This is for the awesome **storytime4fun **who was kind enough to send me rumored spoilers, hopefully you enjoy this fic, which is now a two-shot, not just one. This is based on rumored tweets that have _**not**_ been one hundred percent confirmed, but I hope these are true because word on the street is that H and Natalia will live and Eric and Cal could possibly get back together. One of the producers actually said that they may actually be made for each other. Anyway, we have to wait and hope. Until fall rolls around, we can only guess what will truly happen and this is one of my many guesses.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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><p>There was no doubt in any CSIs' mind that someone was watching out for them up in Heaven. Otherwise, all of them would have been buried beneath soil and grass years ago, their names carved into a headstone. But they had been fortunate to still be living, but it wasn't without difficulty. Their lives always seemed to be in danger, everyday seemed to be a struggle and they were always left wondering if today could be their last day.<p>

But thankfully Natalia and Horatio were once again able to narrowly escape the claws of death. Horatio felt the searing pain at his side, blood escaping him and he could feel his body growing weak. He saw the car crash into the blue water, his heart sinking knowing one of his friends was trapped and he was helpless to try to rescue her. But he wasn't the kind of man to just give up; he put up a fight until the end.

His hand was slightly shaking as he pulled out his cell phone, only able to press the first number on his speed dial, the number of the man he long considered his brother. He knew he didn't have the strength to talk, but perhaps Eric could trace the call and then Natalia could have a chance to see outside that dark trunk.

_Two hours later…_

The hospital cafeteria was probably the only place in the entire building that wasn't completely crowded and that's how she knew he would be down there, some place secluded without the bustle of people to interrupt his thoughts.

Calleigh stepped into the cafeteria after taking a moment to visit Natalia for the brief period the doctor had allowed her into the room. Natalia's face had been pale as the bed sheets around her, shaking slightly despite the numerous sheets and blankets that were piled upon her. She was the polar opposite from the brave and confident Natalia Boa Vista she had known for years. Every noise made her jump, she was constantly requesting to keep the lights on and she had spent the majority of Calleigh's visit crying. Calleigh had never seen Natalia so broken or so terrified; she tried to comfort her friend to the best of her ability until the doctors came in. They had said Natalia could very well be experiencing some form of Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome; anyone would after been trapped in such a devastating fashion, and had appointed her a therapist Natalia would agree to see the morning after. The doctors felt until such time the best thing for Natalia was to get some rest and asked Calleigh to leave as the nurse prepped a sedative to push into Natalia's IV.

But now Calleigh was worried about yet another friend—a friend who she loved passed the boundaries of family, though that's not what she told him. Eric didn't have any food or drink on the table in front of him; he just had his eyes transfixed on the salt and pepper shakers in the center. He looked haunted and the worry lines on his face appeared to have made him age years passed his youth. Eric had been the one who received Horatio's call and had Dave immediately trace it when the only sound he heard was Horatio's strained breathing. When the location was identified, Eric called for backup and paramedics as he sped towards the dock. He saw Horatio first, by this point having lost a substantial amount of blood, the paramedics got to the lieutenant approximately the same time as Eric and quickly began to work on his injury.

"Eric," he choked out as they whisked him away. "Natalia…car." Horatio raised a weak hand toward the water.

Eric understood and quickly ran to the edge of the wooden dock before diving in; the last sound he heard before he hit the water was the sirens of the ambulance driving away. He could clearly see the car and hear a fist pounding from inside the trunk. Thankfully, Eric had been able to find the appropriate button within the car to pop the trunk open and Natalia had been able to escape.

Calleigh knew that the day must have been incredibly overwhelming for him, seeing Horatio bleeding over the dock and Natalia struggling to survive. She didn't take her eyes off him as she stepped into the coffee line, grabbing two Styrofoam cups and filling them with the warm beverage; all the while, Eric never looked up from the objects in front of him. Calleigh felt an ache in her heart to see him so forlorn and she couldn't help but wonder, as she added creamer and sugar to each cup of coffee, if it was this similar pain that drove him away from CSI the first time.

Eric finally looked up when he heard the sound of footsteps coming closer towards him. He saw Calleigh, holding two cups of steaming coffee in her hand, giving him a small, yet gentle, grin. He attempted to return it with a small smile of his own, but his lips wouldn't cooperate and the corners of his mouth merely twitched.

"Thanks," he said as Calleigh handed him one of the cups of coffee.

"No problem…Um, do you mind if I pull up a seat?" she asked, gesturing to the seat across from him.

"No, go ahead," Eric replied, taking a sip of coffee, the first warmth to touch him in what felt like hours.

She smiled, gratefully, and slid into the seat across from him. Calleigh noticed how Eric never directly made eye contact with her. That's how it had been for the two the last few months; they never spoke unless they had to and seldom met one another's eyes when speaking.

"How's Horatio?" Calleigh asked, breaking cross the silence.

"He'll be fine after a few days," he sighed, clearly relieved.

"Thank God," she breathed, gratefully.

"What about Natalia?"

"Um…" Calleigh hesitated. "Physically, she'll be fine. But she's very shaken."

Eric nodded in understanding, but it was apparent the gravity of the day was weighing heavily on him. It didn't matter he saved their lives. As far as he was concerned, they shouldn't have been in the situation in the first place. Calleigh's instincts took over her; the urge to comfort Eric one she was unable to control and she unthinkingly reached to place her hand on top of his.

Her soft touch was something Eric hadn't experienced in months, not since they said goodbye that night in which they went their separate ways; a parting that had been mutual, but one that seemed to be most painful for him…unless Calleigh was wearing her mask around him again. He had craved to feel her touch for a brief second so many times, but today wasn't a pleasant one. He had almost lost his brother and a friend; he had seen both of them at their weakest moments. Now, finally being acknowledged by the woman he loved, the woman he had tried to get over but never could manage to move on from. This was a stab to every fiber of his being and she couldn't handle it. Yesterday, maybe, but not today. Eric withdrew his hand from under hers and cupped it around his coffee.

His action heavily stung Calleigh, but she didn't let him see her pain, she supposed she deserved it after avoiding him in these recent months.

She let the silence ring for a while, allowing the surrounding atmosphere adjust itself back to friendly. Only when they were quiet for exactly fifty-seven heartbeats did Calleigh speak.

"Are _you _okay?" she asked, drawing his attention once again. "Since you were the one there…earlier."

Eric's reaction was one she didn't expect; she had expected him to sigh, she expected him to answer honestly and she even expected him to remain silent if he didn't know how to answer. But she didn't expect him to lightly laugh and have a smile spread across his face.

Finally, Eric sighed and lightly shook his head. "I appreciate the concern, Calleigh, but I haven't been okay in a long time."

With that, Eric got up from his chair and walked away, a circle of condensation that had been formed by his cup of coffee was all that remained.

He could feel her eyes attached to his back as he walked away into the hall. Eric leaned against the cool wall, trying to restrain the feelings he had arising within him. Calleigh had been slowly warming back up to him in the recent months. They began having short conversations, sitting across from one another when the team went out to eat and she even asked him if he was okay after the elevator incident last week. But as much as it hurt to only be friends with Calleigh, he knew it would hurt more to pursue something more and be later rejected. Eric felt the chemistry brewing between the two of them once again and Eric had suffered heartbreak too many times to want to embrace the opportunity to have her back in his life.

If there was anything he learned from Calleigh, it was how to build walls and now he intended to keep them strong.

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><p>Calleigh didn't have to merely guess Eric's words had double-meaning, they came across clearly in his tone. Everyone had seen the change in Eric over the last several months. He wasn't the same Eric they knew before he left CSI, he wasn't the same man she had known during all those nights when they weren't sure of the situation that was their complicated relationship. The change was only noticed mere weeks after Jesse's death, the liveliness in his eyes decreased and his sociability began to decrescendo, with them barely seeing him anywhere but work. Calleigh had been lying to herself by constantly thinking his personality had altered by him suddenly returning to the job he had departed from mere months before accompanied with the tragic loss of a fellow CSI, not that their separation had hurt him that much. There had been moments her conscience attempted to tell her otherwise, but she ignored it and pressed on; she simply told herself that she and Eric were better off without each other.<p>

But one night, about a month ago, she found herself lying in bed, listening to the occurring thunderstorm outside her house. She unthinkingly closed her eyes as she succumbed to the tiredness she had gained throughout the day. She was walking along the beach in a long white dress, the soft sand was beneath her toes, the sun rays touching her skin and the light breeze blew around her, making the strands of hair tickle her chin. She supposed this should have been enjoyable, but everything was cold; the sand, the breeze and even the sun. Then a warm hand took hers and everything shifted, the temperature of everything increased, the colors became vibrant, and Calleigh's heart skipped a beat when she realized it was Eric who had taken her hand. He was looking at her with eyes full of love and the smile that always made her dizzy. Then when he leaned down to kiss her, she saw her future, but it wasn't a vision, more like a sensation she received as his lips lightly teased hers. She realized that this was what she wanted, what she _needed_, she couldn't live the rest of her life without Eric and attempting to continue to do so would be emotional suicide.

When she awoke the following morning, the feeling inside Calleigh remained and her heart, as well as her conscience, had finally gotten through to her; Calleigh needed Eric in her life if she wanted happiness and if she wanted to quit passing through life like a misguided ghost. Her feelings for Eric hadn't changed and she had been foolish to lose the only man that ever truly meant anything to her.

Ever since, Calleigh had tried to gradually warm back up to Eric, but he seemed to have put his guard up and shutting down any attempts at communication and she couldn't blame him. Eric had given her all the love he could manage, pouring every ounce of himself into her and was always affectionate. Calleigh loved him back and never let him forget that she loved him, allowing herself to slowly bring down her own barriers and let him in. But because he made one mistake that fully compromised her trust in him, the Great Wall of China was rebuilt and Calleigh found herself pulling away from Eric. He had tried to be understanding and patient with her, wanting to gain her trust back, thinking their relationship was safe and everything would return to normal once they passed this bump. But that fantasy was destroyed when Calleigh pulled herself away from him completely, hurting that once again the one she trusted had hurt her and she couldn't take it; days later, Eric was no longer in Calleigh's house and their once romantic relationship had been terminated. Calleigh's trust issues had ruined everything and she had no one to blame but herself.

"Stupid woman," she quietly growled at herself as she got up from her seat with her coffee in hand and walked out of the room.

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><p>"What do you mean you haven't found anything?" Eric demanded angrily to Ryan through his cell phone. Ryan and Walter were working the case during the day and Eric and Calleigh were going to oversee the case at night, tracking down Toller still top priority for the team.<p>

"Eric, we are working on it," Ryan retorted, tone just as bitter. "We've got a BOLO out and we are questioning everyone we can."

"Maybe that's not enough!" Eric retorted, his voice rising slightly, making two nurses glance in his direction before he continued down the hall, the two missing plates used to create hundred dollar bills still plagued his mind. He had everything to make the money with and he, pulling a classic Houdini, eluded them once again.

"You know what, Eric, it's not our fault H and Natalia are in the hospital, okay?"

Eric let out a heavy exhale, his other hand reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose with his thumb and middle finger, fighting to compose himself. The pressure of today was getting to him, from Toller, to the rescue, to Calleigh and the price he was paying was his sanity.

"You're right, I'm sorry," he admitted. "Listen, just call me if you get anything."

"Will do. Tell Horatio and Natalia I'm glad they're okay."

"'Kay," Eric nodded before ending the call before dialing in another number. For a moment, he pushed away his emotions for Calleigh to give her a call, knowing he had to keep her in the loop of the investigation. With Horatio out of commission for a while, she was dubbed first in command until his return.

"Duquesne?" Calleigh said when she answered her phone.

"Hey, it's me. Wolfe just called, they haven't got anything on Toller yet," Eric reported, trying to keep his tone as professional as possible.

"Nothing?" she asked in disbelief.

"No," he shook his head. "But they are going to keep working."

"Okay," Calleigh said, expecting him to say more, but static was all she got; he didn't speak nor did he hang up. She swallowed her pride and spoke, wanting to make things right. "Um…can we talk?"

She waited with baited breath for a reply, her heart temporarily stopping as she waited anxiously for his answer.

"I think we need to," he sighed.

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><p>Out in the hospital garden is where they decided to meet. Calleigh sat on the wooden bench, looking upon the trickling fountain in front of her. Bushes blooming violet flowers sat on each side of the bench, trees aligned the cement pathway and they too were full of bright green leaves. Everything in the hospital garden was like a scene from a Frances Hodgson Burnett novel; everything was so alive and vibrant, a complete contradiction of the building behind her.<p>

Calleigh sat on the bench, constantly fidgeting with her hair or wristwatch as she waited for Eric. They had agreed to meet here in five minutes, but every minute felt like an hour, especially when he arrived after seven minutes.

Eric's face was solemn as he walked into the garden; a small grin is all he managed to give to acknowledge her before he sat down on the bench beside her.

Silence surrounded them, only the sounds in existence were of cars passing in the distance and water pouring into the fountain. They were both looking at the ground or in front of them, listening to the silence until it became unbearable.

"I wish we could turn back time," Calleigh sighed. "I wish I can change what happened."

"You do?" he asked, his voice soft and kind. "Why?"

"Because I was an idiot and I ruined a perfectly good relationship," Calleigh confessed, allowing herself to confide in Eric and, she hoped, that by doing so he would accept her again as part of his life.

_"You _aren't the one that lied and was investigating the lab," he pointed out.

"I know, but it was my damn trust issues that put the final nail in the coffin," she shook her head in utter disgust.

"What are you trying to say, Calleigh?" Eric asked, sensing this was more than just a confession.

Calleigh took a deep breath and fought passed the walls she had built against Eric, allowing them to crumble into debris around her.

"I'm saying I'm sorry and that I regret not being honest with you from the get-go." She paused and dropped her eyes to look at her hands. "And…that my feelings for you haven't changed."

Eric's heart halted, he supposed he should have been exhilarated by the news, but instead he felt afraid to take acceptance of what she was saying; he didn't want to risk getting hurt again.

"And my feelings for you haven't changed," he admitted.

"But?" Calleigh asked, noticing the hesitation in his voice.

He licked his lips, wanting to explain his feelings in a way she would understand, but in a way that wouldn't hurt her. That was the single feature on Calleigh he couldn't handle seeing, her being hurt, especially when he had been the cause of the pain.

Calleigh's eyes were on his face, searching for any hint of emotion, she was unable to detect any and her heart sank.

"I don't want a fresh start if it is going to spoil," he attempted to explain. "We have been going in circles for years. Most of it was great, but some of it was hell."

Eric instantly got a flashback in his mind of all the negative moments in their cycle that had caused him pain. Hearing her talk about Jake, seeing them kiss at CSI, Eric knowing _he _had been the cause of their relationship ending. The year of flirtations and constant rejections until they finally became one, only to have that shattered like a rock to a stained glass window. They tried to survive on just the sexual side of their relationship, thinking the intimacy would be enough, though all the while he prayed for it to progress to something more. By the grace of God, it did, but that was destroyed by his dishonesty and her inability to forgive him … until now apparently.

But Eric couldn't live with the constant knots in his stomach, especially with the love he had still in his heart for Calleigh. He needed to move on if there was any chance of a normal life.

"I just think it would be best for both of us if we tried to stop this," he sighed. "If we tried to move on to…"

"Other people?" Calleigh assumed, trying to hide any pain that could have coated her voice; Eric nodded. Calleigh forced her eyes to leave his face and looked at the ground. The idea of seeing herself with anyone but Eric was nauseating, while the thought of Eric holding some other woman the way he used to hold her was both painful and caused a wave of envy through her. Calleigh instantly found herself hating with a passion the Jane Doe he would fall in love with and unknowingly take away the only man she truly believed she could have had a happily ever after with, she had been a skeptic of their existence until she fell in love with Eric.

"Okay," she nodded before getting to her feet and heading back toward the hospital, silently admitting she deserved what she had just received, realizing that maybe she hadn't earned the right to be loved by such an amazing human being.

Calleigh knew she had hurt Eric, never intentionally, but he had gained emotional scars at her hand regardless. The fact dawned on her that perhaps one more apology could be the beginning of closure, for both of them. She stopped after a few steps and turned around to smile sadly at him. "I'm sorry for all the times I hurt you."

Without another word, Calleigh continued down the path, blinking all tears away.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the reviews everyone! So, this isn't the last chapter, I don't know how long it's going to be ;)

Tons of Nat in this chapter.

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><p>Eric stepped into Natalia's hospital room, she was slowly coming out of her drug induced slumber. Eric sat in the chair beside her, smiling despite the ache in his heart. She repetitively blinked her eyes and looked up at Eric.<p>

"I owe you one," she smiled, her voice slightly hoarse.

Eric chuckled. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, my throat is a bit sore," Natalia shrugged, then her eyes grew with worry and her voice went slightly hysterical. "Oh God, please tell me Horatio is okay."

"Calm down, he's fine," he assured her. "He will be out of here in a few days."

Natalia relaxed into her pillows and rubbed her eyes, removing any traces of sleep. "How's the search for Toller coming?"

"Wolfe and Walter are on it right now, they are going to see you guys when Calleigh and I go in tonight," he explained.

Natalia nodded in understanding, but she noticed a change of tone in his voice when he said Calleigh's name. There were definitely two sides in the way Eric said Calleigh's name. One side was hard, defensive and even slightly angry, while the other side was the one Natalia was used to hearing, full of love, happiness and devotion; never had Natalia heard the two dynamics together.

"What's going on?" Natalia asked.

"Wolfe said there is still the BOLO out, there are-."

"Eric, I'm not talking about the case. I'm talking about with you," she said. "What's going on with you and Calleigh?"

"Nothing," Eric answered a bit too quickly. The fact that Natalia had the special ability to read people with one glance had eluded him; he should have known she would suspect something.

"You're lying," Natalia replied, instantly.

"It's nothing," he repeated, but he was even less convincing than the lie before.

Natalia sighed in frustration. There was nothing she hated more than an unanswered question and it promoted curiosity, which had become her worst trait, she was sometimes a bit too curious. Not only out of the need to solve the puzzle in front of her was Natalia determined to get the answer, but it was apparent this situation with Calleigh was affecting Eric negatively and if it was affecting him, there was a good chance it was too affecting Calleigh.

"I can tell this is serious," Natalia said, sitting up in bed and folding her hands in her lap. "You saved my life, now let _me _help _you_."

Eric shook his head, half of a smile forming on his lips. "I appreciate that, but there really isn't anything anyone can do."

"_You_ can do something. I'm sure if you just told Calleigh you're sorry or whatever, she'll take you back. It may take a while for that to happen, but she will take you back," Natalia said, confidently, assuming that Eric had done something to jeopardize their relationship—that had been the reoccurring pattern—and he was at a loss of how to repair the damage.

Eric's reaction to her advice was not at all what Natalia was expecting. He didn't smile or nod, instead he just became solely focused on the tiles of the floor. Natalia's eyebrows knitted together as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Unless," she began, "you want Calleigh to apologize for something."

To that, Eric responded; he released a despairing chuckle and shook his head.

"It's not really a matter of one of us owing the other an apology," he said, still looking at the floor.

"Then what is it a matter of?" Natalia asked.

From where Eric was sitting he had three options. One: He could lie, but he knew Natalia had enough common sense and skills in interrogation that she would be able to see through it. Two: He could leave, only then she would track him down and question him again. Three: He could tell her the truth, an option he wasn't eager to choose, however the one he felt most obligated.

"Fine," Eric sighed in defeat. He proceeded to summarize the last few months and the events of earlier that day. Eric made sure not to reveal too many details, wanting to be as discreet as possible.

Natalia listened well, seeming to understand how Calleigh's unpredictable trust issues and her walls could cause issues in a relationship. Eric didn't explain each individual dilemma they had endured—she probably had heard about most of them from the rumors circulating in the lab, anyway—but gave Natalia a basic overview of the heartache they had caused one another and how it seemed their relationship consisted of one factor…pain.

Once Eric thought he had supplied Natalia with enough information, he stopped and only then Natalia spoke.

"I see where you're coming from, Eric, and I know sometimes it's tough, but isn't Calleigh worth it?"

Eric stared at the ground, seeing for one moment the love he still had for Calleigh and how every fight or disagreement they ever had was remedied by their feelings for one another. They had been willing to sacrifice anything for one another. He could see Calleigh's smile, hear her laughter and feel her in his arms and wanting all those magical moments to return. But Eric was very much aware that love couldn't conquer all complications, no matter how desperately he wished it could.

"She is," Eric sighed. "But…"

"But nothing. Eric, do you think Horatio is going to quit working at CSI just because there is the chance he will get shot again?" Natalia asked.

"That's different," Eric sighed.

"The principle isn't," she pointed out. "Please, just sleep on it."

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><p>Two weeks passed since Horatio and Natalia had been hospitalized and things had slowly returned to their original normality. Toller had miraculously been caught after three extensive days of searching, Horatio and Natalia had already returned to work and Calleigh slid back into Second in Command after Horatio's return. Unfortunately, the situation between Eric and Calleigh didn't change; they were still distant and had hardly spoken to one another since the afternoon at the hospital. Now, Calleigh fought through the burn in her chest as her feet traveled faster against the revolving belt of the treadmill, attempting to keep her breathing steady. She could feel the droplets of perspiration form on her face the same way dew appeared on morning leaves, beads of sweat running down her face to form a path over her fair skin. She was one of the few people at the local gym and one of two people on the treadmills, the man three machines down also living in his own little world.<p>

"You look like you are about to die," Natalia stated, also wearing workout attire, her hair pulled back into a sloppy ponytail and two bottles of Gatorade in hand. The two women had carpooled to the gym together after a tense workday and figuring that the gym was a good place to work off some steam—working off some calories was a bonus. Natalia's newly appointed therapist also suggested to her that perhaps taking the time to improve her physical health as a way to aid her psychological well being; the therapist then stated spending time with friends would also potentially have some benefit. Besides, ever since her conversation with Eric a fortnight ago, Natalia wondered how Calleigh was coping and if Eric had taken any of Natalia's advice.

"How was aerobics?" Calleigh asked, ignoring her friend's comment.

"It was okay," she shrugged before looking at the readings on the treadmill display panel. "Calleigh, you've barely been here forty-five minutes and you're almost at nine miles. Either you're on steroids or you are pushing yourself _way _too hard."

"No pain, no gain," she panted, still trying to take strong breaths.

"What are you trying to gain, a trip to the hospital?" Natalia asked, reaching up to decrease the speed on the treadmill until it (and Calleigh's feet) stopped. "Rehydrate," she said, holding up one of the bottles of Gatorade.

Calleigh sighed in defeat and stepped off the treadmill, taking the drink Natalia offered her. They stepped towards a nearby bench, Calleigh's thigh and calf muscles throbbing with every step she took.

"It's not like I was going to give myself a heart attack," Calleigh pointed out, still trying to catch her breath as they sat down.

"True, but if I had your lungs, I wouldn't take chances," she said, twisting the lid off the bottle to take a sip of the blue liquid.

Calleigh chuckled. "Third time is supposed to be the charm."

"And God forbid that should happen. If something happened to you I'd be the only woman on the team…. Not to mention a certain Cuban would be very, very upset," Natalia stated, confidently, approaching the subject she had been hoping to reach.

"You think?" Calleigh asked, trying to sound nonchalant about Eric, pretending that if he didn't care then maybe she could adapt to the idea they were no longer together; the idea he didn't _want _to be together.

"Calleigh," she sighed, impatiently. "We both know he would care and we both know he is crazy about you."

Calleigh rolled her lips as she screwed the lid back on her bottle, wishing the words escaping from Natalia's lips were true, but Calleigh had learned to embrace reality and her heart began to ache, the pain wasn't a result of her intense workout.

"And you are crazy about him," Natalia said, the same certainty still dominant in her voice, nudging Calleigh with her elbow.

"Nat, I'm not crazy about Eric," she lied; Natalia may have been one of the closest friends she had, but Calleigh wasn't opted to share her details of her personal life. When it came to her romantic tragedies, she preferred to handle it the way she normally handled everything—alone, Natalia knew that. But Natalia also knew how in love the two were, despite how much they denied it.

"You know what I think? I think you are both crazy about each other, but you are both too hardheaded to accept it," Natalia stated, but Calleigh didn't reply, she had suddenly fascinated by the label on the bottle. "C'mon, Calleigh, you've found your perfect guy. I'm still waiting, embrace it."

"Natalia, that's probably because you are a bit too picky," Calleigh pointed out.

"I am _not _picky. I'm just looking for a guy who is nice, smart, polite, chivalrous, funny and has a voice like Alan Rickman's," Natalia shrugged, adding the last characteristic as a joke.

"Okay, so we just need to find you a British man who was brought up in Elizabethan times and who can sound good when teaching Potions at Hogwarts and trying to kill John McClane. Yeah, piece of cake," Calleigh chuckled.

"I can dream, can't I? Calleigh, seriously, Eric loves you with every fiber in his body," she insisted, her voice beginning to sound desperate as it became harder for Calleigh to accept anything she said.

Calleigh had already spent many nights lying in bed with Eric haunting every thought that passed through her head, the pain piggy-backed onto it. She couldn't discuss this anymore with Natalia and she took another swig of Gatorade before re-sealing the top and standing up.

"I'm going to do a few pull-ups," Calleigh stated, moving towards the numerous metal bars passed the treadmills; she heard Natalia jog to catch up to her.

"Cal, you can't avoid this subject forever," Natalia sighed, shaking her head, her ponytail bobbing slightly with each movement, some of the hair escaping and falling in front of her face.

"I wouldn't have to avoid it if you stopped bringing it up," Calleigh replied with a small grin as she set her drink beside the foot of the pole.

Natalia exhaled heavily as Calleigh jumped to grab the bar above her and pull herself up. Natalia began to nibble on the inside of her cheek, inwardly debating whether or not to tell Calleigh about the conversation she and Eric had shared weeks before. She knew telling Calleigh would betray Eric's trust and even hurt him if he were to find out, especially were this to end disastrously. But she felt by omitting information from Calleigh, she wasn't receiving a part of Eric's perspective that Natalia felt she deserved to know.

"Calleigh, I talked to Eric and I can tell he still has feelings for you," she sighed.

"When did you talk to him?" Calleigh asked, trying not to break her concentration as she raised her chin above the bar once again.

"When I was in the hospital. He came to see me and he seemed down, so I talked to him."

Finally, Calleigh lowered herself and her hands unclenched from the bar, her eyes now holding sadness, the kind one generally receives after reliving a painful memory.

"So you know why things are the way they are?" Calleigh asked; Natalia nodded.

"But I don't think he has stopped having feelings for you, he's just been-."

"Hurt," Calleigh finished the sentence, grabbing the bottle and the two began to walk aimlessly around the gym.

"Yeah. But, Calleigh, I know you never intended to hurt him and things probably just happened. And he has unthinkingly hurt you in the past-."

"Not in the same way," Calleigh pointed out, not meeting Natalia's eye, her sight focused on the pair of Nikes she had on her feet. Calleigh sighed and stopped to face her friend. "Listen, Natalia, I appreciate what you are trying to do, really. But there's nothing that can be done."

"When there's a will, there's a way," Natalia reminded her.

"True," Calleigh nodded. "So I_ will_ be going to the showers, which are _that way_."

Calleigh then turned around and headed towards the direction of the showers, leaving a slightly frustrated Natalia alone in the middle of the gym.

"Your friend seems a little pissed," a man commented as he approached Natalia, flinging his sand colored bangs out of his eyes.

Natalia shook her head, turning on her own heel to head towards the showers, but he just jogged to catch up with her.

"Is that a shake for no she's not pissed or are you just annoyed with me?" he asked with a smirk.

"Both," Natalia snapped. "But if she was upset, I don't see how it would be any of your business."

"Because I could cheer her up." His mouth slid into a devilish grin as he gave Natalia a wink.

"She has a boyfriend," Natalia said, icily, her brain not even registering what she said was a lie…it just didn't feel as though it were a lie.

But the man rolled his hazel eyes. "It didn't sound like it to me," he scoffed.

"Don't believe everything you hear," she retorted. "Now take it somewhere else."

He looked as though he were about to make another remark, but thought better of it and walked away from Natalia.

_Pathetic,_ she thought as she picked up the pace and headed to the showers.

* * *

><p>Natalia dropped Calleigh off at her home, said she would see her at work the next morning and then proceeded down the road as Calleigh went into her house. She dropped her gym bag by the closet door, not particularly in the mood to bother with it. Calleigh's legs were throbbing from the extensive workout and her mind had been emotionally drained due to her and Natalia's conversation. She kicked off her shoes, lied on her couch and closed her eyes. But the darkness behind her eyelids shifted as her body shut down into sleep mode. She was standing the middle of the very gymnasium she had just left and surrounded by people, all holding bottles of Gatorade. Natalia was there, repeating all her romance advice she had offered earlier, Eric was there stating all the reasons he wasn't willing to work their relationship out and Walter and Ryan were constantly inviting her out for a drink once she was done running.<p>

"I'm not running," Calleigh insisted, but her respiratory system felt as though it were. Suddenly, it was hard to breathe, she was wheezing for oxygen and the room began to spin. Calleigh was then on a gurney and being pulled down a hospital hallway. Several faces looked over her in worry including Horatio, Alexx, Ryan, Walter, Frank, her middle school principal (for some reason she couldn't fathom), and even Speedle. But Eric wasn't there, Calleigh asked for him, but a tube that appeared in her throat to assist her breathing made it impossible. When she turned her head towards the hospital door, she then saw him…walking away from her, very indifferent.

Calleigh tried to call to him, but then Alan Rickman's rich voice filled her head, repeating the words "he is gone" over and over. Calleigh tried to drown him out, but the voice just got louder and louder and louder until finally something that sounded like a car horn abruptly woke her.

Calleigh's eyes flew open as a pick-up truck blew its horn as it drove by her home. She squinted against the sun that rippled through her front window. She looked at the clock on the VCR/DVD player; it was time to proceed to yet another dismal day of missing Eric.


	3. Chapter 3

I hope everyone enjoys angst, because there will be heaps in the next few chapters. And since the new season of CSI: M is fast approaching, I kindly request that no more spoilers be sent to me. I like to be surprised every now and then, but I greatly appreciate the ones that have been sent previously. Please and thank you . Here's a new chapter…

* * *

><p>Calleigh placed the remaining plates in her dishwasher, softly singing a Peggy Lee song under her breath as the sun slowly dipped below the horizon outside, the sky vibrant with red and orange hues. She was slowly getting over the pain that had been pounding on her for the last several weeks. Eric was still constantly sitting in the back of her mind, however she could feel the pain gradually lessening and her heart becoming a little bit lighter.<p>

When Calleigh returned from the hospital, she had come to the realization that she had been hoping Eric would change his mind and they would be able to start with the slate wiped clean. Now, she realized just how below her intelligence that had sounded, to be dwelling on a wish that could never come true. She had to repeat to herself at least one thousand times that night she and Eric were over and the chances of their romance rekindling were extremely minimal. As much it killed her to repeat that statement over and over, by the time she awoke that morning, she had accepted it. Calleigh had offered her apologies to Eric, he knew how she felt and his feelings were too quite clear, there was nothing else that could be done apart from trying to continue living.

The pain hadn't completely evaporated yet, not by any means, but she could at least see him and talk to him at work and in the locker room without feeling as though she were about to die from the crucial pain her heart would cause. She was simply taking everything in stride, one day at a time and hoped that her life could return to normal soon; if only she knew what normal was at this point.

_"And I can make a man out of you, 'cause I'm a woman. W-O-M-A-N,_" she sang-mumbled as she closed the dishwasher, turning the knob to the appropriate setting. "_I'll say it again. 'Cause I'm a woman. W-O-M-A-_."

A knock at her door stopped the song in its tracks. Calleigh's eyebrows knitted together; who would be dropping by at this hour? Praying it wasn't a Jehovah's Witness, she approached her door, running a quick pair of hands through her lightly tangled hair, making herself look partly presentable. But once she looked out the window, she realized it really didn't matter how she looked, for the man outside saw her in practically every way possible. Eric had seen her when she woke up with her hair heavily tousled and eyelids heavy, he had seen her stressed when she came home at night and she had heavy circles under her eyes and he had seen her sick when her face was livid and nose red; a few askew hairs wasn't going to overly surprise him.

Calleigh had her hand on the door handle, allowing the initial shock from seeing him on her step at this time to wear off before daring to pull it open. She had convinced herself by this point that any discussion she would ever have with Eric wouldn't be that of personal issues and just didn't allow herself to think he was here for any other reason more than business—why he couldn't wait until the next morning much less call was beyond her—and readied herself for a hopefully quick conversation.

"Hey," she greeted him, a fake grin forcibly plastered on her face.

"Hey," he replied; for a moment Calleigh could have sworn she saw a spark in his eye, but it was probably only the gleam of the porch light.

"What's up?"

Eric seemed to have forgotten why he was there—in fact, he seemed to have forgotten how to speak—and didn't respond instantly. Eventually, after a few moments of silence, he realized he she had asked him the question and then hurried to answer.

"Nothing. I, uh, I just wanted to return this to you," Eric said, holding out an object in his hand Calleigh had failed to notice until that point; it was a DVD. Calleigh took it from him and examined the cover of the movie _The Bourne Ultimatum_, the movie she had let him borrow some time back, having forgotten completely about it until now.

"Um…thanks," Calleigh said slowly, not exactly sure how to react to this situation. "You know, I love a good Matt Damon movie as much as the next girl, but why return it now when you see me at work every day?"

"My day off is tomorrow and I'll have forgotten about it by the next day," Eric explained with a small shrug.

"Well, thanks again. So, um, what are you going to do tomorrow?" Calleigh asked.

"Not sure yet," Eric admitted with a light shrug.

"Oh, okay," she nodded as Eric continued to look at her, not saying a word and it was beginning to make her feel uncomfortable.

A silence settled around them, one heavy with tension and it was crushing down upon them. Calleigh dropped her gaze and rocked herself a few times on the balls of her feet, while Eric continued to look at her and still completely tongue-tied. In fact, Eric seemed completely unaware of the fact he was staring at her and not speaking, he seemed to have forgotten he was there and only when Calleigh began to talk again was he brought back to Earth.

"Is that all?" Calleigh asked, having difficulty believing he drove all the way to her house just to return a movie.

Eric just nodded and Calleigh saw his jaw muscles tighten, as though he were clenching his teeth, the way people did when they realized they have done something unthinkingly embarrassing and were regretting it.

"Okay," Calleigh said, relieved this very awkward exchange was coming to a close. "Thanks and have a good day tomorrow…doing whatever you decide to do."

"Thanks," he said, taking a step backward. "Enjoy the movie."

"Will do," she promised as he turned around and headed towards his car, running a hand over his short hair in an almost nervous manner.

_Strange_, Calleigh thought to herself as she closed the door. She heard the sound of a car engine start and pull out of the driveway as she headed towards her television cabinet, which had a compartment for any movies she may have owned. She pulled open the small wooden door, attempting to push Eric's less-than-normal behavior from her mind—not to mention the painful shock she still had from seeing him on her doorstep. Calleigh went to slide the DVD into place only to see _The Bourne Ultimatum _was already placed amongst the DVDs she had.

The movie in her hand wasn't hers…did Eric know that?

* * *

><p>"Which one of you did Delko borrow this from?" Calleigh asked, holding up the DVD as she entered the locker room the following morning. Walter and Natalia glanced at the movie and then back at their lockers, whereas Ryan stepped forward.<p>

"From me, last week," Ryan said as Calleigh handed them the movie. "How did you get it?"

"Eric returned it last night, thinking it was mine," she shrugged, heading to her locker. "I thought it was mine too until I remembered he borrowed _Supremacy _from me months ago_, _not _Ultimatum_."

"And he just forgot which one he borrowed from Ryan, even though that was only last week?" Natalia said to Calleigh, her voice low enough for the other two not to hear. "That's pretty odd."

Apparently, Natalia's opinion on Calleigh and Eric's relationship status hadn't changed since their conversation, but Calleigh didn't comment on her suspicions.

"Well, thanks, Cal," Ryan said, placing the movie on the shelf in his locker as a cell phone began to ring; it was Natalia's.

"Boa Vista?" Natalia said into the receiver; she appeared to be listening intently, nodding to herself occasionally and glancing at Ryan at one point. "Okay, we'll be right there.

"Okay, we've got a double homicide in Coral Gables. Possibly drug related. Ryan, Horatio wants us to head on over there," she said, softly closing the door. "See you guys later," she said to Walter and Calleigh as they walked out of the aisle of lockers.

"'Kay, keep us posted" Walter said, hearing a door open and close to announce their exit, he shut his own locker and took a few steps towards Calleigh. "Delko was probably hoping you would realize the movie wasn't yours and you would take it back to him," he pointed out.

Calleigh sighed in frustration, closing her locker. "You know, it's one thing when Natalia talks to me about Eric, it's another when you do."

"I'll try not to take that personally," Walter scoffed with a grin.

"I just mean that Natalia is my friend who's a woman. We are supposed to talk about men and relationships. You are my friend who's a guy and we are supposed to talk about…other things."

"That's a stereotype," he pointed out.

"It's my nice way of saying I don't want to talk about this. Besides, I'm sure that movie was just a mistake," she shrugged, heading towards the elevator door.

"No, he was hoping you'd take that DVD back to him once you realized it wasn't your movie."

"Well, if that was his immature plan, and it wasn't, it has been foiled," Calleigh said, calling the elevator.

"Can I be straight with you?" Walter asked as they loaded the elevator, but he didn't wait for a response. "I know most the women here think Delko is this knight in shining armor who can do anything, including be man enough to talk about his feelings, but he is a guy. And guys aren't good at talking about their feelings and saying when they want to talk to a girl, so they normally do something stupid."

Calleigh didn't respond as the elevator rose. She knew Eric wouldn't devise a plan to get her over to his house; he was a lot of things, but manipulative wasn't one of them. Besides, why would he want her to go to his condo, their feelings towards one another had been laid on the line and it was quite apparent his feelings would never again surpass friendship. No one would go to such an effort to create a diabolical plan just to get an ex over to their house.

"Listen, I don't want to get involved," Walter assured her. "There's already enough drama in this place. But if Delko did come up with this plan, do you really want him to spend his day off waiting in disappointment?"

"He didn't come up with a plan."

"You're probably right," he nodded as the elevator dinged at their stop. "But can you guarantee it?"

The doors slid open and Walter stepped out, leaving Calleigh with that question replaying over and over in her mind.

* * *

><p><em>This is ridiculous<em>, Calleigh thought to herself as she knocked on Eric's door on her break._ He probably isn't even home. He usually dives on his day off._

Walter had been right about her not being able to guarantee that Eric hadn't set this up. She still thought the possibility of Eric devising a scheme to set her up was highly unlikely; however, if there was a chance Eric had wanted her to come to his condo, she would never forgive herself if he sat there waiting and no one came. Calleigh wasn't expecting anything, not a talk, not any reconciliation, just assurance this wasn't a master plan. Period.

She heard shuffling from the other side of the door and then the knob twisted open and then Eric was standing right in front of her. His face automatically turned into a surprised expression and Calleigh had her answer; he hadn't been expecting her to come and, to her surprise, it made her heart sink all the way to the floor.

"Hey, Calleigh," he said, the shock not at all masked in his voice.

"Hi," she replied, suddenly feeling very idiotic by this point; also, having a mini reversed case of déjà vu. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Eric said, shrugging one shoulder.

"Why did you return that movie last night?" Calleigh asked without thinking, a very out of character move on her part; she usually so careful when it came to choosing her words. Only around Eric, it seemed, did she accidentally blurt things out without a thought; he always had that effect on her.

Eric ignored the question, though the answer in his mind was crystal clear. He had been missing Calleigh more and more in the recent weeks, especially when he was alone in his condo. All the pictures Eric had removed from their frames and stored away were now on his bedside table, happier memories staring up at him. He had spent many a night watching any videos he may have captured on his video camera on his laptop, pausing the frame whenever Calleigh laughed just to make it last a little longer. Then last night the pictures and home movies were no longer enough and he needed to see Calleigh, in the flesh. She was like a magnet drawing him in and he couldn't resist. He conjured an alibi by grabbing a DVD he thought belonged to her and drove to Bal Harbour; he hadn't noted how morally wrong going to see her was until he was on her doorstep. But she was his guiltiest of pleasures and he couldn't force himself to stay away, despite how painful it may have been to be around her.

"Because it wasn't my movie," Calleigh said, saving him from answering her previous question.

"What are you talking about, of course it-." Eric stopped himself, clearly having realized his mistake and nodded. "That one was Ryan's."

"Yeah," she nodded, looking down at her hands, suddenly very interested in her watchband. "I just wanted to..." Calleigh's voice faded out, never having the opportunity to finish her statement, and it was all because she looked back up at the wrong time.

Eric suddenly seemed in touching distance and their lips were in close proximity and if one of them moved forward in the slightest, a kiss would be the result. As fate would have it, that's exactly what happened. They weren't certain if Eric leaned down, if Calleigh stretched upwards or if the movement was simultaneous; it really didn't matter. All they knew was their lips touched and it was nothing less than magic brewing…plus guilt. They knew with every fiber within them that this was wrong, but they couldn't seem to stop themselves, the more they attempted to resist deeper the kiss seemed to become.

Calleigh felt his hand cup around the back of her neck and her own arms snake into place around his torso as Eric's palm pressed up against the small of her back. Their feet moved together and they ended up within Eric's apartment, lips still pressed together, and they were heading deeper inside his home. Calleigh's lips parted against his and she could feel his warm breath against her lips and inside her mouth, making a shiver of pleasure run down her spine. When she got a sip of oxygen, her conscience became alert and told her how utterly irresponsible and unethical this was, but Calleigh couldn't find it within herself to care; she and Eric just fallen onto the mattress in his bedroom.

* * *

><p>Calleigh found herself looking at the ceiling with a newfound hatred of herself, for letting herself give into Eric so easily. She had so sure she was beginning to move on from Eric and what they had, but now she found herself lying naked beside him after enjoying an intense moment of pleasure. She had come here with an attempt to put any chance of reconciliation to rest and went in the opposite direction.<p>

Even now, realizing how terribly wrong this was, Calleigh still found a smidge of happiness and couldn't say she regretted coming here, despite how inappropriate that was. This had been the perfect example of two steps forward and one giant step back. Now, her heart and soul had once again been shattered by confusion, uncertainty and her love for Eric, not to mention thousands upon thousands of questions soared into her mind. The main one being: did this mean they had a chance? They obviously were still attracted to each other in some way, shape or form, but was that an emotional attraction or just a physical one? Was this just a repeat of last year or was this a new beginning? Was there any chance of hope?

Hurt and confused, Calleigh let out a heavy sigh, one in which Eric heard and he turned his head towards her.

"Are you okay?" Eric asked

Calleigh sighed and shook her head, making certain she was covered in sheets before turning to face him, not wanting to risk a chance of another intimate action. "I'm confused," she admitted with a sad chuckle. "Does this mean anything or is this just—just a—just something stupid?"

Eric licked his lips, in all honesty completely unsure of what this was himself. Something had to obviously lead them into his bedroom and for them to shed their clothes and promises. Whether it have been their feelings, their infatuation with one another or their shared want for the pleasure of sex that had lead them there was unclear. All Eric could remember was she knocked on his door and the next thing he knew she was beside him in bed. Regardless of how it happened, it did happen and he had went back on what he had said weeks ago and could see the pain in Calleigh's eyes because he had possibly let her believe they had a chance. He couldn't let her believe that, for he wasn't certain he believed it or not himself.

"I don't know," he said, honestly.

Calleigh exhaled, heavily, and dropped her eyes, fighting to keep composure, not wanting to let him see her pain or her anger.

"That's not enough, Eric," she shook her head when she finally dared to look up. "I should go."

She didn't look back at him as she got dressed, knowing if she hurried she could probably get back to work on time, and didn't turn around as she walked out of his bedroom. Calleigh did, however, allow herself one last look at the rest of the condo, for she made a silent promise to herself this would be the last time she would see it. Being in love with Eric caused too much pain and moving on from whatever they had would be the only sure-fire cure for the pain. As she walked out the door, not allowing herself to hurt anymore, Calleigh wondered if this was how Eric had felt when she had left him with such uncertainty; if it was, Calleigh couldn't blame him for ending their attempt of a relationship in the first place.


	4. Chapter 4

Just saw the last Harry Potter movie…so sad, it's the end of an era, but it did the book justice (and, if there are any fellow Snape fans, they incorporated his story into the movie very well!). Thought I'd give this a shot since I was in such a good mood.

* * *

><p>Calleigh drove towards the abandoned house Horatio had told her to meet Eric; the building belonged to a family that had suddenly vanished months ago, now one appeared dead on the causeway and the team had been thrust into the mystery. Calleigh and Eric were completely professional at work, never hostile or allowed their emotions for one another to interfere with their investigations. She was almost thankful they could have such a normal working relationship, for it held proof they had been part of each other's life, it was a good base and reassuring to know not all their relationships had been tarnished. Their romantic one had clearly disintegrated and their once close friendship had collapsed as a result, but when they were just colleagues, they were content, almost happy.<p>

She could see the house coming up on the horizon, as well as the Hummer parked by the curb. Eric, however, wasn't in sight; he probably got a head start on collecting evidence. Her foot tapped on the gas a little more to approach the house at a faster pace.

What happened next came fast, not slow motion like the movies depicted, instead it occurred so quickly Calleigh's mind couldn't fully register it until a few moments after it occurred. The windows of the house exploded and a cloud of black smoke flowed out. Debris and shattered glass filled the yard and part of the road as fire could be seen spreading inside the house through the now vacant window holes.

Calleigh's heart stopped beating and her stomach twisted itself into multiple, painful, knots; Eric was inside that building. The flames began to lick the brick outside as Calleigh stomped on the gas to pull up to the building as she grabbed her radio.

"This is Duquesne. Officer needs assistance at Fifth and Orange Blossom. Repeat, Fifth and Orange Blossom. Possible 10-30. I need an ambulance and Fire Rescue. Immediately!"

After a violent slam on the brake, Calleigh leaped from the car and ran, unthinkingly, towards the house. She felt the heat from the fire against her skin as she approached the house, taking a final breath of clean air before darting inside, the door already down.

The interior was worse than the exterior. The furniture and the walls were covered with orange and violent flames, beams from the ceiling were falling and fragments of various objects were scattered due to the impact of the explosion. Eric, however, wasn't in her sight.

"Eric!" she called, venturing deeper into the house. "Eric!"

"Calleigh, get out of here!" Eric shouted back from further within, towards the area that once could have been the living room; his voice sounded strangled, pained. Calleigh ignored his request and ran towards where he heard his voice, then there he was. He was buried beneath the debris from the collapsing ceiling, including thick wooden beams. They were on his legs, his waist and his lower chest, his arms were free and he was battling to lift the one crushing his chest off him. Calleigh rushed over to him, her lungs beginning to experience the familiar burning as more smoke entered her system and she began to cough violently as she sprinted towards Eric; praying her respiratory system would allow her to get him free before shutting down.

Eric heard Calleigh before he saw her, he heard the heavy coughing that had become the most terrifying sound in his world and it was coming closer until he could see her. A new pain arose, not the physical ones he was enduring because of the beams, but the pain he had from the fear of seeing her in a fire, her face red and not running out.

"Calleigh!" he shouted again as Calleigh began to attempt to heave the beam off of him. "You're going to get yourself killed! Get out of here!"

"I will once we get these things off you," Calleigh responded, the wooden beams hot against her palms as she lifted the beam from his body, her arms aching from the weight.

A fear flooded through Eric in that moment and he wanted to scream to Calleigh how much he loved her and how if she was harmed because she was attempting to rescue him, he would never forgive himself.

Eric felt the pressure from the thick beam was alleviated as Calleigh completely removed it from his chest. He was able to breathe easier, however, there was still a sharp pain in his side and breathing was painful. But as he took a breath, smoke entered his lungs and he began coughing himself. Meanwhile, Calleigh began to heave the second beam from his waist, her hands catching on some nails, parts of her skin tore and began to bleed, the red staining the wood. Eric had sat himself up now and was assisting in the removal of the wood until his entire body was freed from their weight. Calleigh—her face beet red and eyes watering slightly—took his hand to pull him from the ground before they dashed to get out of the hell house, running only on adrenaline.

They darted out the front door, breathing in the fresh air and relieved for the cool air to reach their clammy skin. However, as they stumbled to the sidewalk, the adrenaline high they experienced began to dwindle and the pain returned. Calleigh's lungs were burning with pain and she began to violently cough, however, she was still able to receive a substantial amount of oxygen. She could hear her heart beat in her ears and the cuts on her hands seared. Eric felt the sharp pain in his ribs, making every inhale and exhale pure agony and his torso and legs were throbbing as blood violently rushed back to them.

"Are you okay?" Calleigh gasped when she was finally able to catch her breath, the sounds of sirens echoing in the distance.

"Yeah. You?" he asked, heavily concerned by the fact she had just inhaled an abundance of smoke.

"I'm fine," she assured him, somehow unable to look him in the eye. The way he had been screaming at her to leave him and get out to save her own life had made her feel, just for a moment, that he still cared enough for her to make such a request. There was something in his voice that sounded uncannily similar to the way he had called her name the day the crane had crashed into the building in which herself, Eric and William were inside. He had called to her then too in fear for her safety and she had been certain she had heard the same from him inside. But now the heat of the moment had cooled and the places they held in their non-existent relationship hadn't changed.

Calleigh didn't realize, however, how terrified Eric had been when she had come running into that building to save him. He could have burned in the house for all he cared, but Calleigh had to survive. Period. They may not have been together, they probably weren't even friends at this point, but the idea of living in this world without Calleigh was unimaginable and a feeling he never wanted to experience; he just didn't realize it until today.

"You didn't have to do that," he said, glancing at her as the sound of sirens grew closer.

"That's what teammates do for each other," Calleigh shrugged, not looking at him as she examined her injured hands, the dried blood appearing brown on her palms.

"Yeah," he nodded before sighing sadly. "Teammates."

* * *

><p>The nurse at the all too familiar Dade General (by this point, many members of the team were wondering why they hadn't all purchased a shack on hospital grounds, for this was the most frequent location they always ended up, other than the Crime Lab) had only allowed Eric to leave his hospital bed via wheelchair; Eric consented, but only because it would be the only way to go check in on Calleigh. They had been whisked to the hospital in separate ambulances and Eric still had the image of the Calleigh who was gasping for air in the burning house; all he could do was pray that she didn't inhale enough smoke to trigger a negative reaction.<p>

He pushed his hands forward on the wheels of the chairs, causing them to rotate and carry him in the direction of Calleigh's room. He ignored the looks he received from the other patients, their visitors and the staff, but he didn't care; he was hell-bent to getting to her room as soon as he possibly could. There was an anxiety beating through him that came from not knowing her current condition. Fear was running into every capillary in his body, the fear Calleigh had been lost and they were hadn't been speaking on friendly terms; if these previous weeks were his final moments with Calleigh, Eric knew he would live with the regret of not attempting to extend the olive branch to her for the rest of his life. This thought caused his fear to expand and he pushed himself harder, faster.

Eventually, Eric wheeled himself into Calleigh's hospital room, smiling in relief to see she was sitting up with only an IV on her arm, her hands bandaged and a monitor clipped to her finger, a far cry to how she normally looked after a fire and the tension within him eased.

Calleigh turned her head to face Eric and gave him a small grin as he moved his wheelchair closer to her bed, halting just out of arms reach, a distance she was certain he had created on purpose; despite the distance, Eric did return her smile.

"How bad are you?" she asked.

"Not too bad. A few cracked ribs and a few bruises," Eric shrugged. "You?"

"I'm fine. They pumped me full of meds quickly, they just want me to stick around a few hours just in case," she grinned.

"Good," he nodded. "That's good…you know, that you're going to be okay."

"You too."

Eric wanted to tell her about how when he looked up at her in the fire, all the feelings he had been trying to forget, been ignoring and had kept stored away came back to him in that instant…but something stopped him. The love he had for Calleigh may have been resurrected, but the pain hadn't subsided due to that. He couldn't tell her, for that would mean putting his heart out on the line once again, which always resulted in it getting broken.

Bur Natalia's voice entered his head, her voice clearly asking him, _"Isn't Calleigh worth it?" _and _"Do you think Horatio is going to quit working at CSI just because there is the chance he will get shot again?"_

"Calleigh, I-." Eric started to say, but suddenly his throat swelled and his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth, as though the truth didn't want to emerge, his fear overcoming him and not forcing him to once again give into love. Instead, this came out. "Thanks again."

A shadow came over each of Calleigh's eyes, of disappointment and she had obviously been disheartened, believing for a single second he was about to say something in regards to their separation, for it would have been the first time they had openly addressed it since the last time they were at the hospital. Alas, her hopes were brutally destroyed by his words of gratitude.

"You're welcome," she sighed seconds before her nurse in purple scrubs entered.

"I'm sorry," the nurse apologized, sweetly. "But Ms. Duquesne needs to be-."

"Getting some rest," Eric interrupted, nodding in understanding. "It's no problem…I'll see you later," he now said to Calleigh.

"See you," she said, nonchalantly, before Eric turned his chair around and pushed himself out into the hallway.

Eric felt as though an angry jury had attacked him, his mind was in a battle of pros and cons, unable to decide whether or not it was wise to forgive Calleigh and attempt to pursue another arrangement.

Part of him thought: _Her way of thinking is too unpredictable; you never know when her inability to trust is going to affect your relationship_.

While the other half retorted with: _But Calleigh she makes you happy and you make her happy. Remember, she is the only one you have ever even _considered _having a future with? Doesn't that count for anything? Besides, it's your own fault she lost trust in you._

But the side pointing out the cons would then hiss: _But if I haven't earned her trust back by this point and she hasn't realized that she can trust me, then she never will._

And that's how it continued, a devil of one shoulder and an angel on the other, bickering and both raising valid points that left Eric just as lost and confused as he had been the majority of the day.

But there was one certainty in this entire messed. He had been denying it for weeks now, locking the fact in a chest and throwing away a key, attempting to forget. However, today ruined all the effort he had had in attempting to forget what he had always known and there was absolutely no way to deny it now. No matter how rocky their current situation was, Eric was still in love with Calleigh Duquesne.


	5. Chapter 5

The two had never been so thankful to be assigned to different cases the following day. While Calleigh, Ryan and Natalia were working on a murder involving a DB found inside a relator's backyard, Horatio, Walter, Frank and Eric were dealing with a hit-and-run of a drug dealer. The two had been traveling in different circles the majority of the day, but they both knew seeing each other was inevitable and, as fate would have it, they entered the locker room almost simultaneously. Calleigh avoided Eric's eyes as she headed towards her locker. She had been up all night attempting to forget the pain that had rammed her when Eric said he was uncertain of what was to come next; an answer that rang loud and clear for Calleigh.

Eric, on the other hand, was up all night wishing that this didn't have to be so difficult; he loved her and she loved him, wasn't that supposed to be enough? But that little issue of uncertainty would always be there to remind him of why rekindling the relationship was a bad idea…unless he decided to take a risk.

But this wasn't the time by any means, the two had been left in a complicated, emotional mess after yesterday and the tension was too thick for anyone to bear.

"So, um, have you got any plans tonight?" Eric asked, trying to destroy the awkward silence. "If you don't do you want to go somewhere and talk?"

"I've got plans," she said, bluntly, not looking at him. "I'm going out with a friend."

Eric's mind automatically went back to the last "friend" she went out to dinner with and a surge of anger rushed through him.

"Nice," he muttered, bitterly.

"What?" she demanded, now looking at him, but with daggers in her eyes threatening to tear him apart.

"You're going on a date, even though-."

"I never said it was a date," she cut across him. "Natalia and I are going to see Valera. We haven't seen her much since she moved to the graveyard shift. She has the night off and the three of us are going out to catch up," Calleigh said defensively. "Why does it matter if I was on a date anyway? You are the one who wanted to see other people, remember?"

"That was before-."

"What? Before we slept together?" she demanded. "As I recall, you weren't sure what to make of it. I can take a hint."

"I was just-."

"Unsure," Calleigh interrupted him again. "And when one person is that unsure of another person, then they both should just forget about. Forget about everything….And, I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I think you were right about us. One of us or both of us always ends up getting hurt and this is bound to end in disaster."

"You don't mean that," he whispered, his throat tight with fear that she was slipping through his fingers.

"Now, Eric, when you say things like that, you make it sound like you want something between us. But then two seconds later you want nothing to do with me. You can't have it both ways," she shook her head. "You can't make me believe we have a chance and that you want a relationship again when you feel the opposite."

When Calleigh first began talking, he felt slightly guilty, having unthinkingly toyed with her emotions, but that guilt was quickly replaced by the anger that inflated inside him. His mind had flipped from understanding and calm, to tense and angry.

"Why does _that _sound familiar?" Eric scoffed, sarcastically, for she had just paralleled everything she accused him of doing to the pain she had caused him. She had made him think their relationship could be healed after the State Attorney's Office incident and he could slowly earn back her trust and return to normal, all for that fantasy to be painfully snatched away in one swipe.

"So, what, all this was payback?" she demanded. "You are leading me on to prove a point? I have said I'm sorry, why isn't that enough?"

"Why wasn't it enough that I tried everything I could to make you happy, to make us work? Now, I admit I screwed it up a few times along the way, but I tried and you still…." His voice wavered in anger and he stopped himself, his hands shaking.

"And I didn't try?" Calleigh demanded. "I'm the one who came to you and told you I knew what I did wrong, I said sorry and _you _were the one who refused to try again."

They heard the sound of someone clearing their throat as they approached; they turned to see Ryan heading down the aisle of locker. They looked away, preoccupying themselves by putting up and taking out their belongings from their lockers; Ryan kept his head down as he made his way to his own locker, his face red from accidentally walking in on such a private moment. Never in all his years at PD had he heard such words of anger and simultaneous emotion come from Eric and Calleigh, but he had just witnessed it with his own to eyes; for reasons he couldn't understand, their words and tone were almost frightening. All oxygen in the room had vanished and Ryan rushed to open his locker, trying to ignore Eric and Calleigh in his peripheral vision. They weren't looking at him, they seemed too humiliated to allow their eyes to travel in his direction, but they occasionally glanced at each other and the tension thickened with each look; it was all too suffocating and Ryan scrambled to collect his belongings.

"Well, goodnight," he said, awkwardly, as he made his way out of the locker room. The brief silence had given them each a moment to calm down and Calleigh took a steady breath before looking back at Eric.

"Look," she sighed, calming down. "What do you want? Because we've been following this pattern for years and I don't want to keep wasting time on a relationship that's not going anywhere. So figure it out, for both our sakes, okay?"

She gently pushed her locker closed, hearing the light metallic click to guarantee it was locked, before turning on her heel and leaving him alone, staring after her.

* * *

><p>"Maybe you should try to move on," Valera suggested over the loud music of the club. After leaving the Crime Lab, Calleigh ran home to change from her work attire into a pair of jeans and a tank top before meeting the girls. Valera had once again transformed her hair in another cosmetic experiment, her locks now an auburn color with ringlets resting just above her shoulders, which Calleigh kindly complimented as they ordered drinks in the midst of people on the dance floor and flashy neon lights. But when they found an empty table to catch up and drink at, the questions from Valera started flowing. She happened to hear about Eric and Calleigh through the grapevine. CSI: Miami may have changed throughout the years, but one factor was always constant; word traveled like wildfire and there weren't any secrets at MDPD.<p>

Calleigh now sighed as she took a drink, attempting to ignore Valera's suggestion. Valera had dubbed this into a full on "girls night out", involving drinks and talking; Calleigh had been fine with the conversation until it began to center around relationships—particularly hers. Natalia shot Valera a look when she spoke, completely against that idea. There had been something abnormally odd about today, about how they were acting. The amount of aching in Eric's eyes seemed to increase and only replied with a very monotone "I'm fine" when someone asked what was wrong. Calleigh had been more subtle and was withdrawn from any emotion whatsoever, doing her job on autopilot without any liveliness. It was apparent to Natalia neither of them was willing to move on and she became slightly annoyed with Valera for suggesting something like this.

"How?" Calleigh asked. Personally, she needed closure before she could even attempt to move on and she wouldn't get any closure until she and Eric were on the same page, but Calleigh knew Valera wouldn't allow this conversation to settle until she offered some advice.

"Rebound?" Valera said, simply, taking a sip of her cosmopolitan cocktail. "On the nightshift there is this guy in Trace who you may like. His name is Eli and he's smart, very friendly and he's hilarious."

This didn't have the effect Valera had hoped for, Calleigh simply shrugged at his qualities. "Did I mention he's a Saints fan?" she added, wanting some type of positive reaction from Calleigh, but she simply chuckled and shook her head. Eli probably was a great guy, however all of his qualities seemed fairly predictable and the only thing she could give him a point for was good taste in—Calleigh's personal opinion—football teams.

"Maxine, I don't do rebounds," Calleigh shook her head. "And even if I did, now isn't a good time. Things are too complicated."

Valera rolled her eyes. "Everything is complicated. Take a risk."

_I did_, Calleigh thought to herself, but she said, "I'll think about it," she lied.

"Great," Valera smiled, taking a drink.

"I'm going to get another beer," Calleigh sighed, getting up. "You guys want anything on me?"

"I'm good, thanks."

"Me too," Natalia replied as Calleigh headed towards the bar, searching her mind for something interesting to say for when she returned as to avoid any other questions about Eric.

"Another beer?" the bartender asked and Calleigh nodded, leaning against the bar.

"It's on me," someone behind her said, sliding a bill to the bartender and Calleigh turned around in surprise to see Eric standing beside her, close enough to touch.

"What are you doing here?" Calleigh asked, icily, taking the beer the bartender handed her.

"Can I talk to you?"

"There's nothing to talk about," she shrugged.

"Just one minute?" Calleigh made the mistake of looking into his eyes and there was something so hopelessly addicting about them that she couldn't refuse.

"I'll give you two," she permitted. "What's going on?"

"Earlier in the locker room, I said a few things I'm not proud of. And you were right."

"About what?" she asked.

"About how I have to figure out how I feel about us," he explained. "And I think I have."

"That was fast," Calleigh commented; her voice was monotone as she took a swig of her beer, the alcohol soothing her.

"That may be because I never really changed my mind," Eric whispered, keeping the moment private and personal. His voice was hopelessly addictive and caring, his feelings for her ringing clear in tone, however lacking in words and she could only be left to assume he still loved her. But she needed him to admit it; there would be no other way for her to believe him.

"So I'm supposed to believe that all those things you said about fresh starts spoiling and it being best if we moved on was just doubt?" she questioned. "Tell me the truth."

Calleigh awaited his answer, slightly troubled that he needed to time on how to respond, and out of the corner of her eye, she could see Valera and Natalia exchange surprised looks at her newfound company. Their eyes quickly averted the couple, but the shock remained and Calleigh had half a mind to just walk away from Eric and erasing this from her memory. But something stopped her; she couldn't find herself able to leave Eric at the bar even though he took his time answering. However, her patience was waning and Calleigh was getting to the point where she _needed _an answer, either to attempt and heal their relationship or to find closure and be able to move on.

"This is my truth. I know I hurt you and I'm sorry, I still regret it, because you were the best thing that ever happened to me, whether as my boyfriend or my best friend. And I still love you, but right now I can't see us being together either unless you tell me your truth. Do you love me back?" she asked, unable to believe she once again was putting her heart on the line like this, Calleigh _never _did this.

All Eric's mind could scream was yes, over and over again and was commanding his lips to say so as well, but once again he was halted by fear. Calleigh waited, her eyebrows raised in waiting and he couldn't meet her eyes as he worked up his courage to tell her he loved her. But Calleigh could already feel her heart starting to tear into shreds just by his inability to answer.

"Yes or no, Eric?" she sighed, her voice thickening with pain; by this point wishing she had ordered something stronger than this beer.

Eric once again remained silent and stared at the ground and tried to say yes, but he couldn't seem to express his love for her with a word for he had lost his voice. Calleigh shook her head and began to walk away, uncertain of how much more rejection she could take from the man who had once supposedly loved her.

As she took one step away from him, Eric's mind flashbacked to the day before when he watched her walk out of his bedroom and how he almost got up to stop her, but he didn't. He wasn't about to sit back and let that happen again. He grabbed her hand and pulled her back towards him and into a kiss. Calleigh's immediate reaction was to pull back. She couldn't endure this, she couldn't endure the amazing rush of emotions she received from kissing Eric, when nothing was resolved; she wasn't about to have a rerun of yesterday, even if this was just a kiss.

"Eric," Calleigh sighed as she leaned out. "I can't-."

"I love you," he said, quickly, finally able to say the words without fear; it was just too hard trying not to be in love with Calleigh, for it was fighting a lost battle. Nothing on this planet could stop him from loving her and he knew that more pain could very well be awaiting them down the road, whether or not it be at her hand, but he couldn't find it within himself to care; she would be worth it.

"I love you," Eric repeated as Calleigh stared up at him. "I never stopped—that's the problem. I wouldn't be able to handle it if something came between us again. And I thought it would be easier to quit while ahead."

"Was it?" Calleigh asked, softly, putting down her beer on the nearby bar; Eric shook his head.

With that, it was as though any self-control Calleigh had ever possessed vanished and she found herself stretching up to crush her lips against Eric's, something he didn't refuse as he deepened the kiss and pressed his hands to her back. Unlike the previous day, this kiss held certainty and wasn't tainted by the guilt of knowing they were crossing lines; instead they were actually able to enjoy this experience at least a little.

"Don't you think I've learned my lesson by now?" Calleigh asked with a teasing grin. "I know I can trust you and…. And I never meant to hurt you; I don't want to hurt you. You mean so much to me and I didn't mean to forget that," she whispered. "I'm sorry."

Eric grinned and put his forehead against hers. "And I'm sorry I forgot it's all those little defense mechanisms that make you Calleigh and you wouldn't be the Calleigh I love without them."

"Even if they get in the way sometimes?" she asked.

He smiled and leaned back down to kiss her once again; Calleigh took that as a yes.

The intensity of the kiss was enough to make any other mere mortal fall victim to its lustful powers, however they found themselves able to resist and leaned out to smile at one another. But it wasn't without difficulty; they had both been longing for the pleasure every kiss and every caress, yet they both knew they couldn't, not at such a fast paced anyway.

"So, um, maybe we should-."

"Take this slow?" Calleigh assumed, finishing the sentence for him. Eric nodded and he could tell Calleigh understood his intentions. Why would they want to rush this? If taking it slow meant giving them a better chance of a future, it was definitely worth it.

"Coffee, tomorrow morning before work?" Calleigh asked.

Eric smiled. "It's a date."

Back at the table, Valera and Natalia were exchanging smiles after seeing Eric lean down to press his lips to Calleigh's once again.

"Guess she's not going to need Eli's number after all," Valera sighed, taking a swig of her drink.

"Nope," Natalia said, smiling as she shook her head. "So, I guess it's just you and me the rest of the night."

"Yeah. Want to go to a singles' bar?

Natalia chuckled and shook her head. "Maybe next time, Maxine."

"Suit yourself….Lovebirds at twelve o'clock," Valera said, nodding in the direction from which Eric and Calleigh were approaching, his arm wrapped around her waist and she was smiling broadly.

They stopped just before they reached the table, close enough for Natalia and Valera to hear the mumbles of their conversation.

"I'll see you tomorrow," they heard Eric say, just loud enough to be heard over the music.

"You will," Calleigh promised, a grin forming on her face before stretching up to peck Eric on the lips before he unwrapped his arm from her waist. He headed into the crowd in means to get to the door as Calleigh nonchalantly slid back into the booth with Natalia and Valera, taking a sip of her beer before seeing the absolutely appalled looks on their faces.

"What?" Calleigh asked, confused as to why their jaws were hitting the ground.

"We saw you and Eric. We just assumed you'd want to find a more…um." Valera awkwardly cleared her throat. "Romantic atmosphere."

Calleigh felt a light blush come to her cheeks; she should have known Valera and Natalia would see her and Eric—but her mind had been pretty focused on just him in that moment and the outside world might as well of vanished.

"Does this mean you and Eric are…you know?" Natalia asked.

Calleigh hesitated. "Kind of."

"Kind of?" she repeated. "The kind of as in you're not sure, or the kind of when your back together just not quite…_there_."

"The second one." To this statement, Valera's eyes doubled in size in utter disbelief; Calleigh noticed. "What will rushing back into this do?" she pointed out.

"I don't know, it would be a great ending," Valera replied. Natalia playfully rolled her eyes with a smile; Valera had always been a hopeless romantic.

"It's just better we do it this way," Calleigh said, simply. "One day at a time."

Besides, she didn't view this as an ending, not when this was just the beginning.

She could see Eric making his way towards the exit, pausing at one point to turn and flash his crooked smile in her direction, earning himself a smile in return before he proceeded to leave. Calleigh grinned to herself as she took a sip of her beer, unable to believe how much her day—perhaps even her life—changed within the last few moments.

"God," Valera sighed. "I've gotta switch back to days."

Epilogue follows. I'll try to keep all updates for all stories regular but school is back in and balancing everything and fanfiction will not be easy. I know my fellow students can empathize. Speaking of which, got an essay to get working on *frowns* so I hope everyone enjoyed this.


	6. Chapter 6

Holy shit! Just saw the promo on YouTube and 10.01 looks freakin' awesome! Can't wait!

Oh, and the Denver Broncos just won the game, so it's been a good day over here! I hope everyone else's has been just as good and if not, hopefully this chapter will help.

* * *

><p><em>Two and a half years later…<em>

To state that their relationship moved at a snail's pace would be an utter understatement. They tried their sincere hardest to make certain that all issues—past and future—wouldn't be enough to rip tear them from one another back cruelly toss them back into hell. But as the time passed and they became more confident with the stability of their relationship, Eric and Calleigh found their love and infatuation for one another intensified to levels they didn't even know possible.

Now, two years and six months had passed and their lives with one another had definitely changed; this time it was for the better.

This particular morning, the harsh sound that was the buzzing of the alarm rung through their bedroom, yanking them out of their dreams, not that they hadn't been looking forward to getting up this morning, but they wouldn't have minded savoring a few more precious minutes of a morning just the two of them.

Eric pulled Calleigh closer into his bare chest as she blindly hit the button to shut off the obnoxious ringing of the alarm before snuggling back into Eric's chest.

"Cal?" she heard Eric's voice calling to her through her slumber filled mind. "Calleigh," he said again, his voice this time accompanied by his lips softly touching her forehead. Calleigh's eyes fluttered open to the face man who in a few hours would be called her husband. She pulled her arms out of the mess of sheets that covered their naked bodies and wrapped them around his neck, putting her lips to his. Eric wrapped his arm around her torso, pulling her onto his chest, not allowing the kiss to break.

Calleigh leaned out and folded her hands beneath her chin as she smiled down at Eric, who smiled with sheer excitement back as he ran his hands through her blonde hair, the locks following like silk between his fingers.

"This time next year I'll be telling you Happy One Year Anniversary," Calleigh whispered.

Eric chuckled. "Sounds good to me," he grinned, tracing the line of her lips with his finger. She reached up to take Eric's hand that was on her lips. She kissed his fingertips, his palm and the pulse on his wrist before he moved his palm to caress the side of her face. They looked at each other and their lips touched, once again.

"No second thoughts?" Eric asked.

"Nope," Calleigh mumbled against his lips. "You?"

"None whatsoever," Eric promised. "I'm just happy that I'm finally marrying you."

"Well," she sighed, happily, as she glanced at the digital clock, "only six more hours."

As far as Eric was concerned, those six hours couldn't go by fast enough. He had spent a good part of the last decade fantasying about the day he and Calleigh would wed and now half a dozen hours stood in his way, mocking him for still having to wait. But, as he kept reminding himself, no matter how long he had to wait, Calleigh would always be worth it.

"When's Alexx coming to get you?" Eric asked, absentmindedly twirling a strand of her hair between his fingers.

"In an hour or so," she shrugged, remembering the time Alexx had given her in which she would pick Calleigh up to take to take her to Carmen's place to get ready for the ceremony. "So I'd better take a shower."

Calleigh shifted her weight to roll off of Eric and grab her robe from the floor, sitting up on the edge of the bed as she slid it on.

"I can help you with that shower," Eric volunteered, seductively, as he snaked his arms around her waist from behind her.

Calleigh laughed and shook her head as she turned in his direction to kiss his cheek. "We have to save a few things for the honeymoon," she reminded him, unlinking his arms from around her waist.

"Good point," he sighed in defeat, leaning into the pillows. "And how long is it until the honeymoon?"

Calleigh just rolled her eyes and walked away from him to head into the adjoining bathroom. Eric heard the sound of the water hitting the tiles of the shower floor as his eyes landed back onto the clock counting down until Calleigh would become his wife.

Eric remembered how two and a half years ago he had almost lost this moment by letting Calleigh go from his life forever. Yes, at the time his pain had been enormous and the fear of opening his heart back to her even more so. But now when he put everything into the proper perspective, his hurt and losses were feeble compared to all he was about to gain: Calleigh as his wife, one day their family and the promise of many years together. All of this had been promised almost a year ago when he proposed to her.

* * *

><p><em>One year ago…<em>

Calleigh wasn't quite sure how she had spent her nights before Eric. She wasn't sure how she survived without those sweet kisses being dotted along the veins of her neck, how she had managed to endure every night without love, passion and intense ecstasy. The nights without his broad arms wrapped around her waist, without hearing his steady heartbeat beneath her ear whilst her head rested on his chest or his fingers combing through the locks of her hair that was slightly askew by that point of the evening.

But now she worked overtime in Firearms, getting caught up on a few of her open cases, and was beginning to long for the feeling of their bodies lost within one another and the contact of their skin as they held each other. Instead she was constantly running rounds through IBIS, test-firing weapons, comparing bullets under the scope and filling out reports. As much as Calleigh loved being around guns and working in her Firearms lab, she also loved Eric and their nights together, something they were constantly robbed of. But her dedication to her job, to catching the killer, kept her at the Crime Lab.

Calleigh continued write out the details of the report when the door to her lab opened and entered an unexpected visitor.

"I come bearing coffee, drink of the gods," Eric announced, two Styrofoam cups of coffee in his hands.

Calleigh laughed as he came towards her, handing her the cup of coffee. "What are you doing back here?" she asked. "Your shift ended hours ago."

"I haven't seen you all day," he shrugged, innocently, as he delivered the alibi he formed on his way over; one Calleigh appeared to have bought. "How's it going?"

"Good. I just have to finish up this report and then I'm home free," she grinned as she took a sip of her coffee.

Eric smiled and, after placing his coffee to the side, came up behind her to wrap his arms around her middle and ducking down to kiss the nape of her neck. Calleigh lightly giggled but gave him a look of light disapproval; however the threat in her eyes was out shined by the dimples her smile formed. She allowed herself to lean into his chest and he lightly rested his chin on her shoulder, attempting keep his nerves under wraps.

"I'm glad you stopped by," Calleigh smiled at him.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I was getting a bit lonely, too," she admitted as she resumed her work.

Eric waited for her to complete her report patiently, remaining quiet as to not interfere with her work, but would occasionally turn her head in his direction to kiss her neck or her cheek, mildly distracting her for a moment; Calleigh couldn't say she minded too much. His being here as she completed her report definitely made the task less tedious.

Calleigh signed her name, completing the report, and smiled in triumph as she slid it into a manila folder.

"Be right back," she whispered, leaving his arms to hang up her lab coat.

"Okay," he nodded as she walked through the doors and left him standing in the lab alone, giving him the final opportunity to prepare himself for what he was about to do.

Eric reached into his pocket to take out the little black box that felt as though it weighed over a thousand pounds; he pulled open the lid to examine the ring. He could already see the silver band on Calleigh's finger, complimented by the setting of the diamond. The second he saw the ring in the jewelry store, he knew it had to be the one he bought for Calleigh when he would ask her to marry him, he had purchased the ring months ago and vowed to himself that he would propose to Calleigh by this date before eleven-thirty PM.

Originally, he had thought he would have proposed to her way before his deadline, but time had dwindled due to his nerves constantly getting in the way and the fear of how their relationship would be affected were she to say no. Now he was down to the wire and had to ask her to marry him within the next seven minutes, even if it was in the middle of the Firearms lab.

The door opened again and Calleigh entered; Eric hurriedly put the ring away before she had the chance to see it.

"And I'm done for the night," Calleigh announced, jubilantly as she approached Eric. "Ready to go?"

"Um, not quite," Eric said, the butterflies his stomach now circulating at a much higher rate. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Okay, go ahead," she permitted, slightly confused about what he could ask her here but not at home.

Eric took a deep breath and placed his hand back in his pocket, his fingers encompassing the velvet box as he looked into Calleigh's eyes. She awaited him to speak, however his lips had yet to form words despite the fact his mind was screaming. He stood in front of her, by this point feeling absolutely ridiculous that his nerves were getting the better of him, especially considering the fact he had pictured this moment plenty of times.

Calleigh gave him a reassuring smile and stretched up to kiss him and as her lips tenderly caressed his, Eric's nerves faded almost instantly, the kiss just had a natural calming effect on him.

"Eric, this is me you're talking to," she reminded him, leaning away. "Whatever it is, just ask." Calleigh didn't admit aloud she had an idea as to where this conversation was heading, but wasn't about to rush him; though at this point she was getting fairly anxious.

"Okay," Eric nodded, slowly getting his confidence back, though his heart was still experiencing a slight arrhythmia. "I've wanted to ask you this for years," he admitted. "I mean, you saw Dr. Marsh's file on me and….But I've never actually came out and asked you, so Calleigh…" He pulled out the velvet box and popped open the lid to reveal to her the ring as he slid down onto one knee. "Will you marry me?"

Her answer was immediate.

"Yes," Calleigh accepted with great certainty.

Eric exhaled in relief and he could feel the smile on his face spread from ear-to-ear, unable to contain his sheer happiness. He slid the ring into place on Calleigh's ring finger before getting back up to his feet, delicately holding her face in his hands as he leaned in to kiss her, his lips highly elated against hers as he was unable to conceal his joy. When the kiss broke, Eric was pleased to see Calleigh's smile mirrored his own, just as wide and just as excited.

Eric looked around the lab before his eyes rested on her, now looking a little sheepish. "I know Firearms probably isn't the most romantic place for a proposal," he said, apologetically.

"Hey," Calleigh grinned as she hugged his waist. "In my book, this lab beats out Paris," she reassured him.

Eric laughed and leaned in to kiss her, almost certain that Calleigh and only Calleigh would be the only one he'd ever know who would say that; he wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

><p>Eric's mind returned to the here and now, in which he stood in the kitchen in an old T-shirt and a pair of sweats, listening to the sound of coffee bubbling and hissing in its brewer. He reflected on this memory with an enormous amount of joy and, of course, relief. For there had always been the chance his proposal would've been rejected, but as the coffee pot filled with its dark liquid on this clear spring morning, those fears of rejection now seemed so trivial.<p>

A knock on the door signaled Alexx's arrival, fifteen minutes ahead of her expected arrival; apparently she was as anxious for the wedding to arrive as Eric was.

"Come in," he called to her. The door opened and Alexx rushed into the living room, a broad smile on her face as she came up to embrace him.

"You're getting married," she said, excitedly. "Ready?"

"I've been ready for a long time," he confessed with a grin as he leaned out of the hug, feeling light as a feather and as though he was defying gravity at the prospect of getting married.

"So where's your bride?" Alexx asked.

"Here," Calleigh smiled as she entered the kitchen, her hair dried and dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, opening a cupboard door. "Want some coffee?"

"Oh, no thank you," she declined. "I'm running on three cups already."

Calleigh chuckled as she grabbed a mug for herself and came over to stand beside Eric as Alexx leaned against the counter. Calleigh placed her cup on the counter and Eric took the opportunity, seeing as she was in close proximity, to lean down to kiss her hair.

"You two do know it's supposed to be bad luck to see each other before the wedding, right?" Alexx reminded them with a cocked eyebrow.

"Alexx, that's superstition," Calleigh pointed out. Alexx replied by lightly rolling her eyes and shaking her head at the indifference towards the tradition.

"Well, whether we see each other or not," Eric spoke up, pouring the coffee into the mugs. "There is going to be a wedding." The giddiness about this fact was all too apparent in Eric's eyes and Calleigh couldn't resist smiling wildly back at him.

Alexx chuckled at the two of them, fondly remembering the days when herself and her husband were young and in love; it did her heart good to see two of the people she was so close to experiencing such a magnificent feeling. To see Eric and Calleigh standing close to one another as they had their coffee, so comfortable and content just being with one another. And Alexx knew they would look at one another with just as much devotion in the years to come.

"Now, you have everything right?" Alexx asked. "You know, borrowed, something new; something borrowed and something blue?"

"Yes," Calleigh assured her as she finished the remains of her coffee. "Don't worry, Alexx, everything is ready."

"I don't understand how you two could remain so calm," she said with a shake of her head. "Whenever someone I know gets married, things are usually completely hectic."

Calleigh didn't admit it aloud, but she was certain the reason the day wasn't completely disorganized and rushed was due to the wedding being so small. The ceremony was going to be traditional, however miniscule compared to most weddings, only their closest family and friends in attendance at the Catholic Church. Calleigh would have been happy standing in front of a judge at a courthouse if it meant her and Eric could be married; the ceremony didn't seem all that important by this point.

"Well, calm is better than hectic," Eric pointed out.

"I suppose so," Alexx agreed with a nod. "Okay, baby, we'd better get going. You only have a few hours left as a bachelorette and we have work to do," she grinned, digging out her car keys.

"Okay," Calleigh smiled, excitedly, as she placed her empty mug in the sink. This was almost surreal to her by this point; she was about to go get ready for her _wedding_, the one all those years ago she thought wouldn't happen. Now, the three walked onto the porch—Eric seeing them out—and down the path to the driveway.

"We'll see you at the church," Alexx broadly smiled, giving Eric a hug. "I'm so happy for both you," she whispered.

"Thanks, Alexx," he said, gratefully. She leaned out, tears forming in her eyes uncontrollably, as they had been doing for most of the morning. Alexx hurriedly blinked them away as she loaded herself into the car.

"Be right there," Calleigh said to Alexx.

"Take your time," she grinned as she closed the door; though Calleigh and Eric both knew by this point "take your time" translated to "make it quick."

Eric chuckled. "The bridal party awaits."

"Yeah," Calleigh sighed, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I'll see you later."

"You'll be the one in the white dress, right?" Eric asked, jokingly.

She rolled her eyes at the cliché and stretched up to kiss him, his hand cupping the side of her neck, his thumb lightly brushing against the corner of her mouth and across the outline of her jawbone, the fact hitting him that the next time he would be kissing her, it would be when they share their first kiss as husband and wife. This was to be their last kiss as Calleigh Duquesne and Eric Delko; the thought sent a delightful shiver down his spine.

"I'd better get going," she whispered as she leaned out and Eric nodded with a smile.

Calleigh released her hold on him and got into the passenger side of Alexx's car. They pulled out of the driveway, waving at him in the process and pulled out of sight.

Eric stood there in the driveway for a moment, taking in the day, the circumstances and the events which were to follow in a mere few hours. A light breeze blew through the air, the leaves on the nearby trees and shrubs swayed softly with it as Eric allowed his mind to wander. He thought about how completely and utterly right this felt, how he was certain he was the following appropriate path of his life, by choosing to be with Calleigh and spend the rest of his life with her. And he wondered how, even for a brief period in his life, he ever could have thought anything differently.

But that was the past, eons behind them, it felt. This was now, this was today, and today Calleigh Duquesne was going to become his wife and the world felt at peace.


End file.
